Dec 21, 2008,
5:08 PM ET
December 5, 2008 - After a long season of training, it is always a little nerve-racking to hit the starting line for the first time. You have the whole “newness” of the scenerio, plus the question of “Where exactly am I going to fall in the mix ‘this time’?” It seems like after the season gets underway and you have a few races under your belt, you get a good idea of where you are compared to the rest of the field. But for the first few races, that general breakdown is up in the air.
So, it was good to come away from Wednesday night’s Individual race with a 15th place - my second best career biathlon result. The race itself was one of the harder 20k’s I can remember. Snow fell throughout the day and during the race, making the tracks very deep. This, coupled with a grueling course profile, made for some tough skiing. I was definitely dissapointed with my ski speed and I am determined to improve that going into Saturday’s Sprint competition. Nevertheless, it was a great day overall and I’m psyched to get started on such a positive note.
Before I sign off today I’d like to thank our team doctor, Dr. Ed Merren’s and his son Sam for making the trip over to Ostersund and helping out with the final prep work going into the season. Ed is a great asset to our team and we’re lucky to have him. And Sam, well, I’ve never seen a kid more psyched to go out skiing… I guess I’d be pretty excited too if I got to miss a week of school and go skiing in Sweden!